Santa Barbara Intimate Wedding

January 23, 2022

A beautifully planned Santa Barbara intimate wedding by West Coast Gather Co!

It was my great pleasure to work with West Coast Gather Co on this styled bridal shoot. I have worked with Jamie, West Coast Gather Co owner, quite a few times, and her work is always so stunning. As two female small business owners in the same industry, we do what we can to support each other. And every so often, we like to get creative together and plan styled shoots to expand both of our portfolios.

This shoot was mainly planned around the venue, Santa Barbara House. The historic home in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara was built in 1903, and in 2020, it was restored into boutique vacation accommodations and an intimate event space. Jamie wanted to use this venue for a while, so a styled shoot was a great way to get exactly the feel she wanted. Personally, I love this area. Santa Barbara’s architecture is really incredible, and I love how it’s far enough away from the city to be quiet and peaceful.

Still, things can go sideways at the last minute, even when these photoshoots are carefully planned and perfectly arranged. It seems like we always run into hiccups right before big shoots, and that’s precisely what happened with this Santa Barbara intimate wedding session. A few days before the shoot, there was a mishap with the bridal shop we were working with, and our plans for the bridal gown fell apart. But no matter what happens, we always find a way to pull through! So, I quickly jumped into action, found a dress in Seattle, and flew down to the shoot with it. Thankfully, the dress we got worked perfectly with the other elements of this session.

We wanted to mimic a reception, so Jamie organized a mobile bar, catering, and a beautiful table for the shoot. The theme for the day was vintage whimsy, and this intimate event coordinator nailed it! The details were perfect, from daisies frozen in the ice blocks to the vintage crystal decanters and perfectly arranged florals.

Because this was a styled shoot for our portfolios, we started with some shots of all the vendors. Then, we moved on to get photos of the wedding guests and bride in front of the venue’s cute porch. After that, I worked with the couple and did a short bridal session, shooting in different spots around the property and reception table. And then, to end it all, everyone got to hang out, have drinks from the bar, and enjoy the food together. It was a beautiful way to end this Santa Barbara intimate wedding shoot.